Mar/100
Card Tearing eBook on Sale
Just last night my friend, Jedd Johnson from the Diesel Crew, told me he’s having a sale on his Card Tearing ebook.
Let me tell you, if you ever have thought about learning this feat of strength, this is your roadmap. There are so many effective techniques and methods in this book its crazy.
It’s normally $29.97 but through the rest of this week it’s $10 off for its birthday celebration.
He’s even coming with a number of bonuses including the teleseminar I just did with him and Bud Jeffries. (Great, informative call by the way.)
You’ll even see my testimonial at the top on that page. Now, card tearing is certainly not for everyone. But if you’re one of those rare individuals that likes to destroy things with your bare hands, drop the 20 bucks and get this book.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Affiliate Disclaimer: Did you know it’s law now that you must proclaim any paid incentives or relationships in everything you do online? So the FTC doesn’t come and raid my house and lock my gym up as ‘evidence’ here’s all the legal writing. I was originally given the Card Tearing eBook, just like I‘ve given Jedd some of my products for reviewing purposes. But its good so I recommend it to others. (I have received products free in the past that I didn’t promote because they weren’t good or worth the money.) I will make a small commission if you decide to buy this product today which I may then spend on a burrito or filling up my tank of gas an eighth of the way full. Would I recommend this product if I wasn’t compensated? Absolutely! It’s the best thing available today on how to tear decks of cards in half with ease.
Feb/101
Hand Strength Training
David asked a follow up question regarding his Convict Conditioning routine. “Two questions: I forgot to ask, how would you add grip, neck, & calf work in there too; and can you give a more in depth outline of circuit training – how you would plan it?”
In today’s post I’ll cover hand strength training. For grip work I would train the hands two or three times per week. You could probably even get away with one session a week and still make good gains. Pick one to three exercises each time and go after it. These are the main types of hand strength but these are the main ones. Depending on your goals you may need other exercises.
Wrist levering – This can include wrist rollers, sledgehammer leveraging, dumbbell wrist curls, etc. Even handstands are good.
Crushing grip – This is usually done with steel spring grippers but can be trained in other ways.
Working the pinch grip with a block weight
Pinch grip – Pinching plates is the easiest form, block weights are great too, and then you can do feats like card and phonebook tearing.
Support grip – This is any type of holding. Kettlebell swings certainly work this. Farmer’s walk is probably one of the best exercises.
And many exercises cross over in different area. Bending nails works the wrists and your crushing and support grip. Plate curls will work your wrists and pinch at the same time. If you’re short on time I’d advise doing exercises that give you more bang for your buck.
Also for better hand health you should look at doing exercises like finger extensions especially if you go heavy into working the grip.
You don’t need to do heavy volume. Just one to a few sets is all you really need for your hand strength training.
In the next couple posts I’ll cover neck training and circuit training.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Jan/108
My Top 5 Training Tools of 2009
I figured I would do something special for the end of the year and that would be to list my top 5 training tools of 2009. It was hard to pull from all the things I use and do but I believe this is a fair list, when I look at what has been my focus in training, what have I seen results in, and what I believe has benefited me in ways that aren’t as simple as pounds and reps.
Great for shoulder and arm flexibility and health
#5. Indian Clubs
I picked up a pair of 1 lb. wooden clubs from John Wood over a year ago and I’m glad I did. I’ve used them steadily in the past year usually for sets done between presses and pullups. I find this helps to keep the shoulder girdle and elbows healthy especially when you’re lifting heavy.
You’ll also be amazed at the coordination you develop from swinging these light clubs. For me it seems like the swinging patterns I do are easy but I’m always reminded that that’s not necessarily so when my friends give them a try. I’d rank Indian Clubs as essential for working on some of the smaller muscles and attributes of fitness.
I’ve also worked some this year off and on with heavier clubbells which I enjoy too, but that’s quite different from the light wooden clubs.
Ideal tool for pullup training and more
#4. Gymnastic Rings
I would list bodyweight as a tool but some might construe that as cheating so I’m selecting a tool that is used for bodyweight training, and that’s the gymnastic rings. I haven’t delved into doing an Iron Cross or Maltese or anything that major yet, I just love them for pullups.
The natural groove of being able to rotate the hands and arms as you pull makes this exercise better then on a straight bar. You can lift more and its also better for your joints as you’re not locked into one path. This is important when you do heavy weighted pullups as I do.
My ideal tool for brute leg strength
#3. Trap Bar
Some people love squats. Some people love deadlifts. Using a trapbar is more like a combination of the two. And I find it suits my body and long limbs better than squats or deadlifts with a barbell. I have never hurt my back on the trapbar, which I can’t say the same for barbells.
I only really use it for two exercises, the deadlift and shrugs. Even if it was just for the first exercise it’s a must own piece of equipment for me. I was able to pull 200 kg. or 440 lbs. on it this year which is good progress for me.
Strength and Fun in one small nail
#2. Nails
I love short bending. Other bending like horseshoes, scrolling and braced bending is great too but I’ve stuck with short bending the longest and gotten the most out of it. In 2009 I went from barely bending Grade 5 bolts occasionally to killing them with a fair amount of ease. My best so far is to bend 15 in a workout. I also did 50 60D nails in half an hour this year.
If you’re familiar with bending you can probably guess my goal is to bend the red nail and I’m working up to it. I just got Grade 8 bolts and while my first attempt stopped me, I know I’ll get it soon.
Bending is great for not only hand and wrist strength but developing whole body strength that you can channel towards one single thing. It’s an addictive training and it can be over-done so know what you’re doing. I recommend the Diesel Crew’s Bending eBook to get started.
So many kettlebells, so many uses
#1. Kettlebells
Considering my main goal has centered around completing the Beast Challenge I’ve been using kettlebells steadily in presses, pullups and pistols throughout the year and am continuing to do so. These same moves could be done the same or similarly with dumbbells but I find that kettlebells are just plain fun. I own a lot of them so I might as well put them to good use.
However the real beauty of kettlebells comes in the ballistic exercises. Obviously I’m a big fan of kettlebell juggling but I’ve been concentrating on the 10 minute snatch test recently and just hit a big goal. More on that later. This is a place where dumbbells can’t come close to matching kettlebells.
I hope you gained something out of reading this list. If you’re inspired to go out and get one or more of these training tools all the better.
You don’t have to go into as much details but comment below and list your top five of 2009. I’d love to hear from you. Plus it may have to be something I go out and try.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Nov/090
Volume Bending
Sometimes you have to push the limits.
I didn’t plan this workout ahead of time. I just started bending and kept going.
In the end I had bent 50 60D nails in just under 30 minutes. This video shows the aftermath.
Now I know I’m a bit crazy for doing this. My hands have open wounds on them right now where the skin tore and blistered in many places. (It ain’t the first time and won’t be the last.)
Looking back in my records my previous best was 22 nails in 42 minutes. That was one year ago. That means I did over twice the volume in just over two thirds the time. That’s improvement.
Do I recommend doing this for everyone? No.
But sometimes you have to push the boundaries of what you’re capable of, even if that’s through comfort and pain. In your training and in life.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you’re interested in bending nails, get this must have resource from the Diesel Crew.
Oct/093
Rise Above Strongman Competition
100 lb. Keg Press
I may not have been writing recently but I sure have been training.
And about a month ago I went to my friend Doug’s gym Rise Above Performance Training.
I was a trainer for Doug when he went through the RKC and we stayed in touch after that. He was holding an anniversary party and strongman competition and asked me to come down.
By the way, if you live near Belmont, California you should go check it out. More info can be found at www.RiseAboveStrength.com.
Right when I arrived, the strongman competition was just getting started. I jumped in no hesitation. Here’s a summary with some lessons learned at the end. Also I hope you enjoy the pictures and videos.
The first event was a keg press. Even with all my training this was actually the first time I ever pressed a keg. At 100 lbs. this one proved difficult. I managed 3 reps, knowing with a little practice I could at least double that number.
The second event was the tire flip. It was a light tire so it was done for max reps in 2 minutes. This one I excelled and taking first place by a single rep.
Rolling Thunder
The third event was weighted pushups. Throwing chains over the body then doing reps between two concrete blocks. This was my worst event of the bunch.
The fourth event was the Rolling Thunder. If you are unfamiliar with this one it’s a grip tool put out by Iron Mind. The thick bar and rotating handle makes it difficult to grip. We kept adding weight to see who could lift the most.
The last event was a medley. Pushing a sled, carrying a 70 lb. keg overhead, doing a farmer’s walk with 120 lb. dumbbells and pulling a rope with a weighted sled on it. All this was done for time.
Overall I placed third or forth out of out of the seven. Not bad when you consider most of the competitors where bigger and more muscular then me. And the fact that they trained there and most of these events were familiar to them.
Would have loved to go there and dominate but the primary concern was just to have some fun. Its great to get to use your training that you work so hard to build every once in a while. And competition is always fun.
And afterwords I did a few of the things I’m known for. Kettlebell juggling, tearing phonebooks, cards, bending nails and even a horseshoe.
Speaking of kettlebell juggling tonight Scott Bird from Straight to the Bar is holding a twitter chat on the subject. To come join the conversation go here for details.
This video will show a couple clips from everything that went on there.
Phonebook Tear
Another good reason to compete or do something like this is it shows you how you’re doing. Even though I had never pressed a keg before I got to see how my training has prepared me to do that. I got to see how my conditioning would hold up in unfamiliar exercises like the tire flip and medley.
And it would point out weaknesses, like my horizontal pushing strength, which I am now adding back into my training. Everything for some time has all been overhead pressing. Not anymore.
So go and compete. Take a different training class once in awhile. Try using a new training implement. This is your call to action. Get out and do it!
And if you enjoyed this post please comment below.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. There’s a big announcement coming tomorrow so watch your email inbox for that.
Aug/095
Advanced Rope Climbing
Last night I joined my friend Jeremy at his rock climbing gym, Planet Granite last night.
I don’t have much experience with that kind of training but I always like to get out and try new things. Plus it’s a lot of fun.
Before we began bouldering I showed him a few things on the ropes and rings. I’ve wanted to do this video for a long time but didn’t have access to any rope until now.
This video shows how you can climb a rope upside down. (Hint: using your legs is a big help.) In fact, Jeremy was easily able to do it with a little coaching.
The second piece is climbing with a rope in each hand. Tougher on the grip but just as fun.
If you want some more detail on rope climbing be sure to check out Rope Climbing in the Feats of Strength section.
I’ll have a couple other videos from our excursion later on.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Jul/090
Chain Breaking
Its been awhile since I’ve added a new feat of strength to the site. Today that changes.
Check out the new page on chain breaking.
Apr/090
How to Get Started in Card Tearing
One common question I get when people see me doing feats of strength like tearing a phonebook or deck of cards in half is how do you get started?
When people get exposed to these feats enough, and have been training regularly, they figure they might as well give it a try.
If that describes you I’ve got a new article that gives you a few tips on how to get started in feats of strength.
On a similar note, if you’re interested in card tearing (one of the three recommended starter feats) listen up.
Until recently you couldn’t find any quality instruction on how to do this feat. Unless you knew someone who could teach you (as if there are that many people who can do this feat on the planet!) you were basically left up to your own devices.
The greatest card tearer in the world, Dennis Rogers, made a video on how to do it but it was only available for his coaching members. And, unfortunately, you can no longer get it.
But now Diesel Crew is on the job. If you’ve read their Bending ebook you know the quality and depth of the information. That book is probably more responsible for getting people bending steel than anything else.
And they just released a new ebook on Card Tearing.
Having learned from Dennis Rogers himself I didn’t know if I’d learn anything new from this book. Boy was I wrong.
This is a jam packed manual that’ll give you all the details on card tearing you could possibly want. Different techniques for tearing, tons of methods of progression, supplementary exercises, and much more.
Before you head over to the page to get your copy I want you to know I never recommend something I don’t personally use and endorse. Get the Card Tearing ebook.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you want to learn how to tear cards you need plenty of cards to practice on. (Besides the two techniques for practicing ripping cards without cards on pages 106-108 in the ebook.)
When you order and forward me your receipt I’ll share with you an extra technique as well as my top places to get cards for cheap. Get the Card Tearing ebook!
Apr/090
Rolling a Dumbbell Across the Gym?!?
If you missed my last story about one of the exercises I saw in a commercial gym you can read about it in the post below.
But this one blow even that away. My friend ended up visiting that same gym the next day. And this is what he saw. This is no April Fools joke!
A man came over to the dumbbells and picked a 100 pounder. Using two hands he lifted it off the rack and set it straight on the floor. He then rolled the weight halfway across the gym to the bench he was using.
From there he wrapped his wrist straps round and round to make sure his hand was secured on the dumbbell. And then his set of partial one-arm rows began. They had to be called partial because he wasn’t even getting halfway up.
I wish I had seen this one first hand, but I’m afraid if I did I would have burst into laughter. And it definitely would have distracted me from my workout.
Now I know the chances of this guy reading this are very slim. However here’s just a few pieces of advice I’d give him. Perhaps you can benefit from the lessons.
First off, ever hear of a farmer’s walk? It’s a great exercise and all it involves in carrying a weight hanging by your side. Normally you use two weights, one for each hand, but you could do it with just one. Even a little work on this will save you the embarrassment of rolling weight across the gym.
Secondly, if you can’t hold onto a weight you shouldn’t be using it. Yes, in some extreme cases like a hands and thigh lift I can understand the need for straps, but in general you should be able to HANDle the weights you use. If your hands are weak make them stronger.
And lastly use a full range of movement. Many people like to cheat themselves in the efforts to use a heavier weight. Considering this guy couldn’t even carry or grip the dumbbell, this was obviously too much for him.
There is a time and place for partial movements as part of more advanced training. But in general, always go full range even if you have to use less weight to do it.
If you’ve got any stories of commercial gym insanity I’d love to hear them so send them in.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Dec/081
Best of 2008 Video
What a year’s it been. This video gives you a glimpse of just a few of the things I’ve accomplished along the way.
Let me set this straight. I am not trying to be boastful here. I’m not saying I don’t take pride in my accomplishments, but my purpose here is to educate, inspire and entertain.
You too can accomplish things you would never dreamed of before if you’re willing to put the work in. And in most cases you have to be persistent, waiting years before reaping the real fruits of your labor.
And this video hardly contains everything I’ve done in this year. Putting it together I realized I haven’t filmed a lot of my normal, everyday workouts. Starting next year I’ll try to even out the filming in that regards.
So I hope you enjoy this video. Personally, I can’t wait to see what the Best of 2009 will be.
In Strength,
Logan Christopher
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